Car-seal



(No Model.)

E. S. WHEELER, Jr. OAR SEAL.

No. 460,766. Patented Oct. 6, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELONZO S. \VHEELER, JR, OF SAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT.

CAR-SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,766, dated October 6, 1891.

Application filed May 4,1891. Serial No. 391,489. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELoNzo S. WHEELER, Jr., of Saugatuck, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Car-Seals; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, the seal as applied to a strap; Fig. 2, an inside view of the seal with the loop of the strap engaged therewith; Fig. 3, the same as Fig. 2, showing the loop as about to be inserted; Fig. 4:, an edge View of the loop, looking toward the openingc; Fig. 5, alongitudinal section on line as x of Fig. 2, showing the loop as being introduced; Fig. 6, the same as Fig. 5, showingthe loop as fully introduced; Fig. 7, a transverse section on line y of Fig. 3; Fig. 8, the blank from which the spring-tongue is formed.

This invention relates to an improvement in the device used for sealing car-doors commonly called car-seals, and particularly to that class which are adapted to be secured to one end of a ribbon or band of metal, or other suitable material, and with which the seal automatically interlocks when the two are set together, so that the separation of the seal from its strap cannot be produced without the destruction of one or the other, the object of the invention being to produce an extremely cheap and simple seal, yet one which is effective and which cannot be tampered with, so as to produce separation of the seal from its connection; and the invention consists in the construction, as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claim.

The case of the seal A is composed of two cup-shaped disks a b. The outline may be of any-desirable shape; but they are preferably of cup shape, so that one may be inverted and the flange of the one placed over the flange of the other and closed thereon, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7, so as to firmly secure the two parts together and form a chamber within.

At one point through the side of the case an opening 0 is formed in length and width corresponding substantially to the strap or connection to be introduced into the seal. As here or to whatever it maybe desired to attach the seal, and as usual in car-seal locks.

Upon the inside of the case a longitudinal spring-tongue d is arranged, secured by one end at or near that point of the case through which the slot 0 is formed, and so that the spring will stand in line with the said slot.

The free end of the tongue is turned upward toward the side of the case opposite that to which the fixed end of the tongue is attached, and preferably so as to bear against that opposite side, as seen in Fig. 5.

In the construction of the tongue, and as a means for securing it in place in the case, it is formed from a blank of elastic metal, as seen in Fig. 8, the tongue d being cut from the blank, leaving the fixed end of the tongue in connection with the blank, the tongue turned up from the plane of the blank. The sides e e of this blank are turned upward upon the same side that the tongue projects, and, as seen in Fig. 7, the sides or flanges e e be ing of a width corresponding substantially to the distance between the two sides of the case.

At the end of the blank opposite that to which the tongue is attached a projection f is formed, which is turned upward and over toward the tongue, forming a guard 9, (see Figs. 5 and 6,) this guard standing in a plane midway between the two sides of the case and projecting inward below the turned-up end of the tongue, as shown. The length of the tongue-piece is substantially that of the interior of the cup in which it is placed, and so that when set therein, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, and the parts closed together the tongue piece is held firmly in the seal.

The slot end of the inner cup in which the tongue-piece is placed may be in the form of a flap h and turned inward and down upon the tongue-piece, as seen in Figs. 5 and 6, so as ,to securely hold the tongue-piece at that end. The slot 0 comes between the tonguepiece and the opposite side of the case, as seen it farther underthe guard.

2 scones in Fig. 5, and so that the passage into the case opens over the tongue.

To engage the seal with its strip, the loop or slotted end of the strip, or whatever the fastening may be, is introduced through the opening 0, as seen in Fig. 5, and forced i11- ward. It strikes the upturned surface of the tongue, the tongue yielding as the strip is forced forward, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 5, until the loop or opening D of the strip has passed beyond the end of the tongue. Then the spring-tongue will react and pass through the said opening or loop, and so that the strip then being (la/W11 outward its looped end will pass below the end of the tongue dand interlock therewith. Hence any strain upon the strap tending to draw it outward will but make the connection more firm;

The end t' of the strip beyond the loop or opening D is so much greater than the distance between the end of the guard g and the tongue that when the loop is drawn upon the tongue it will pass below the tongue until the end of the loop is forced down below the guard by the spring of the tongue, and, as seen in Fig. 6, so that the guard serves to prevent the end of the strip or loop from again passing over the end of the guard. Any movement of the strip inward, instead of forcing the loop toward the end of the tongue, will simply force The guardtherefore makes it impossible to disconnect the loop from the seal without the destruction of some of the parts.

The side flanges on the tongue-piece serve 5 to guide the loop to the tongue-that is, prevent it passing to the right or left of the tongue.

WVhile I prefer to employ the guard g as a protection against any effective tampering with the seal, it may be omitted.

I claiin A seal-1ock consisting of a case, a slotopening into the case, a ton gue-piece arranged within said case, the spring-tongue d, out there from and turned away from the said tonguepieoe, and the tongue-piece constructed with side flanges e 6, turned from the tonguepiece in the same direction as the tongue and the end of the said tongue-piece turned toward the tongue to form the guard the said tongue-piece arranged within the case with the tongue in line'with the said slot or opening in the case, combined with a loop adapted for insertion through said slot or opening and so as to be forced over and engaged with the 55 said loop and with the said guard, substantially as described,

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ELONZO S. \VHEELER, JR.

\Vitnesses:

ROBINSON H. WHEELER, HENRY PETERSON. 

